Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIAN CHURCHES IN DANGER

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 14:58:21 – 16/05/2012

If no serious steps are taken to restore the Armenian churches
of Tbilisi, the other churches may end up like St. Nshan church,
said the coordinator of the Assembly of Armenians of Tbilisi Arnold
Stepanyan to Lragir.am reminding that St. Norashen Church of Tbilisi
especially needs reconstruction.

According to him, the current state of the Armenian churches of Tbilisi
is determined by the years of negligence. The Armenian diocese of
Georgia, according to him, instead of cooperating with the Georgian
church, cooperates with the Georgian authorities.

Mr. Stepanyan notes that on the one hand it is right, since the
Georgian power deals with the preservation of churches, but the city
hall can’t do anything without agreeing with the Georgian church.

Recall St. Nshan partially collapsed on May 14. It was built
in 1703-1711 and reconstructed in 1780. St. Nshan is one of the
disputable churches which caused discussion between the Armenian and
Georgian Churches.

WOMAN FOUND HANGED IN OWN APARTMENT IN ARMENIA

NEWS.AM
May 14, 2012 | 19:00

GORIS. – Lusine H., 39, was found hanged in her apartment in Armenia’s
Goris city, Syunik Region’s police confirmed for Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The incident occurred on May 12. According to information at agency’s
disposal the woman had two children and her elder son was about to
finish the school.

GEORGIAN DIOCESE OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH TURNS TO SAAKASHVILI TO PRESERVE CULTURAL MONUMENTS

news.am
May 14, 2012 | 14:20

TBILISI. – The head of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan wrote a letter addressed to the
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili asking to take measures on
preserving the Armenian cultural monuments and the returning five
churches to the diocese in Tbilisi.

Among the five churches are the Holy Seal (St Nshan), St. Norashen,
Mughni Church of St George, St Minas, St Astvatsatsin and St Nshan
in Samtskhe Javakhketi region.

To note, St Nshan was partially damaged on May 13 due to heavy
precipitations. Previously the church was damaged twice earlier this
year due to fires. As a result, a group of experts from the Armenian
Ministry of Culture left for Tbilisi to reach an arrangement with
the Georgian authorities to restore the church.

PHILADELPHIA HOLDS 5TH ANNUAL GENOCIDE WALK
By Kim Yacoubian

May 14, 2012

Taner Akcam Featured as Keynote Speaker

On Tues., April 24, the Philadelphia Armenian Inter-Communal Committee
(PAICC) hosted its annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Holy
Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Cheltenham, Pa. With over
200 guests in attendance, the event began with a requiem service
memorializing the souls of the 1.5 million Armenians lost 97 years ago
during the genocide. The cultural program that followed featured songs
and recitations by the students of the Armenian Sisters’ Academy;
a piano solo by Anahit Sakoian; a recitation by Anton Balasanian;
and a video presentation by Ara Shakarjianof of the 2011 Genocide
Commemoration at the Dzidzernagapert Memorial in Yerevan.

250 members of the Philadelphia Armenian community took to the streets
on April 28 as part of the 2012 Armenian Genocide Walk to educate
the public on Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide.

In his closing address that evening, youth representative Vicken
Bazarbashian emphasized the need for unity in the Armenian nation: “As
we approach the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, we are reminded
once again of the need to unite as one nation and one people in both
our beloved motherland and throughout our diaspora. The need for unity
is now stronger than ever and is a requirement for the preservation and
advancement of our culture, heritage, and Armenian identity. Our future
can be very bright but we must work together to fulfill this endeavor.”

Four days later, on Sat., April 28, the Philadelphia Armenian
Genocide Walk-“Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk”-took place for the fifth
consecutive year with Dr. Taner Akcam, serving as keynote speaker. An
international expert on the Armenian Genocide, Akcam is a historian
and professor of genocide studies at Clark University in Worcester,
Mass. Autographed copies of Akcam latest book, The Young Turks’
Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
in the Ottoman Empire, were available for purchase the day of the walk.

The afternoon began with a two-mile commemorative walk from the
Meher Statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Christ Church in
Old City, where the program took place. With the Scouts Troop of
St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church leading the
walk, 250 community members of all ages, including clergy and Akcam,
gripped banners and signs, while waving American and Armenian flags
to bring exposure to the cause. Emceed by Walk Committee co-chairs
Vicken Bazarbashian and Kim Yacoubian, the program at Christ Church
opened with a performance of Armenian music selections by Jampa Jazz,
with talented lead singer Lori Panossian.

Introduced by Rev. Nishan Bakalian of Armenian Martyrs’ Congregational
Church, Akcam captivated the audience with his address, which
demonstrated a clear passion for his scholarship. Acknowledging the
denial of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish state, Akcam assured
the audience that change is coming. “You can never really kill memory.

You can suppress it, silence it for a long time, but when the moment
is right, like a volcano, it will erupt. What you are witnessing
now is the rebellion in Turkey against the suppressed silence and
expression of narrative that was never openly discussed before.”

Keynote speaker and Armenian Genocide expert Dr. Taner Akcam delivering
his address to the Philadelphia Armenian community during the program
portion of the 2012 Armenian Genocide Walk.

Instilling a sense of hope in the future, Akcam cited examples of
articles on the genocide recently published in the media by Turkish
scholars; national conferences in Turkey on the genocide; and the
outpouring of support by the Turkish people after Hrant Dink’s
assassination. With Turkish civil society now representing a new
locus of interest, Akcam underscored that, with political and social
actors changing in Turkey, both sides have to change their way of
talking about the Armenian Genocide. He concluded, “The history of
Anatolia is the history of so much pain, mostly yours. I am ashamed
and truly sorry not only as a Turk, but as a human being, of the great
injustices that happened to you. I cannot bring back those you lost,
but I want to share your pain and your sadness with you.”

After a brief question and answer period, Akcam was presented with
a collage of bicentennial stamps donated by Robert Damerjian, Sr.,
as a token of the community’s appreciation. The program’s final
speaker, Dr. Ara Chalian, the chairman of the Armenian National
Committee of Pennsylvania, urged the community to take political
action by demanding the passage of House and Senate resolutions on
the Armenian Genocide, and the restoration of Christian churches in
Turkey. Closing the program, Lori Panossian returned with Jampa Jazz
to perform a stunning a cappella rendition of the song “Giligia.”

With support from PAICC, the 2012 Philadelphia Armenian Genocide
Walk provided an opportunity for the entire Philadelphia community
to gather to commemorate the 97th anniversary of the genocide, while
educating the public on Turkish denial of the atrocities committed
against the Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian Genocide
Walk is organized annually on a volunteer basis by a cross-section of
youth representatives from local area churches and organizations. This
year’s Walk Committee included Angela Aghajanian, Anto Arutunian, Rev.

Bakalian, co-chair Vicken Bazarbashian, PAICC chairman Hrant Jilozian,
Diana Lulejian, Sevag Shirozian, Nadia Silk, Paul Sookiasian, Krikor
Yeremian, and co-chair Kim Yacoubian. For photos and videos of this
year’s Walk, visit

U.S. EMBASSY TO AZERBAIJAN WAITS FOR APPROVAL OF NEW AMBASSADOR BY SENATE

Trend
May 14 2012
Azerbaijan

The U.S. embassy to Azerbaijan waits for approval of new ambassador
by Senate, U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Azerbaijan Adam Sterling told
journalists on Monday.

According to Sterling, President Obama nominated Ambassador Richard
Mornigstar several weeks ago to be a new U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan
under the U.S. constitution, and the Senate now should approve him,”
he said.

“The next step is that Senate Foreign Relations Committee has to
schedule a hearing for ambassador Morningstar and we are waiting this
to take place,” he said.

Sterling stressed that there are no rule that dictate how fast the
Senate has to work.

“So it is really very hard to predict when the ambassador will come
and we hope this will go very fast and we will see him (ambassador)
very soon,” he said.

The U.S. has no ambassador to Azerbaijan since former U.S. ambassador
Matthew Bryza ended his mission in the country in late December.

The U.S. President Barack Obama appointed a career diplomat,
former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Bryza as ambassador
to Azerbaijan bypass the Senate on Dec.29, 2010, which a few months
blocked his nomination under pressure of pro-Armenian senators Barbara
Boxer and Robert Menendez.

TURKISH RED CRESCENT EXTENDS FOOD ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIAN SCHOOL

Anadolu Agency
May 14 2012
Turkey

Turkish Red Crescent extended food assistance to an Armenian nursery
and primary school in Istanbul on Monday.

Turkish Red Crescent’s chairman Ahmet Lutfi Akar visited Private
Levon Vartuhyan Armenian Nursery and Primary School in Istanbul’s
Topkapi neighborhood, and extended the assistance consisting of 100
consignments of food.

“Turkish Red Crescent is an organization that extends help without
making religious, linguistic and racist discrimination. We will
continue to meet needs of Levon Vartuhyan Armenian Nursery and Primary
School periodically from now on,” Akar said.

Monik Ergan, the chairman of Surp Nigogayos Armenian Church Foundation
to which the nursery and primary school were bound, said they did
not want to close the school and they were exerting efforts to keep
it open.

Ergan also said almost 100 students were having education in the
school.

SENIOR FRENCH ENVOY SAYS EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE A FREER TURKEY

Journal of Turkish Weekly
May 14 2012

The senior French diplomat in Turkey said on Monday that everybody
wanted to see a freer Turkey.

French Ambassador to Turkey Laurent Bili said that Turkey was carrying
out significant initiatives, and underlined importance of Turkey’s
constitutional efforts.

“Everybody wants to see a freer Turkey,” Bili told AA correspondent
in the northwestern province of Bursa.

Bili said that the current situation in the European Union (EU) zone
was not so bright, and the EU balances had changed a bit after recent
developments in the continent of Europe.

It was not easy to keep the EU working with 27 members, the French
ambassador said.

Bili said Turkey was a bigger country than other countries that joined
the union, and balances could change if Turkey was admitted to the EU.

The ambassador said France was experiencing a significant and
democratic process, and new developments could emerge after May 7th
presidential election.

Bili said the new French President Francois Hollande sent a message
to Turks living in France, and underlined the importance he attached
to Turkish-French relations.

Every one knew that Hollande had more positive views about Turkey’s
accession to the EU, Bili said.

Bili expressed thought that Hollande would have a more positive
perspective on Turks.

The ambassador said the French law criminalizing denial of Armenian
allegations of the incidents of 1915 was not targeting at Turks,
and President Hollande would bring up the law again but in line with
the constitution.

Bili said the law was not against Turkey, but was prepared for the
French citizens of Armenian origin.

The ambassador said French companies had confidence in Turkey’s bright
future and were eager to make more investments, which was so positive
for bilateral relations.

Bili said he was hopeful that bilateral relations would be boosted,
and members of the French business organization MEDEF would visit
Turkey in June and seek appropriate places for new investments.

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande won the second round of the
French presidential election by gaining 52 percent of the votes. He
is expected to take over the office from Nicolas Sarkozy on May 15.

57-year-old Hollande began his political career as the adviser to
Francois Mitterrand, who served as the president of France between
1981 and 1995.

Hollande, who supported the law criminalizing denial of Armenian
allegations regarding the incidents of 1915, has given the message
that he does no more welcome Turkey’s European Union membership saying
that negotiations have prolonged for so long.

The French Constitutional Council has rejected the law criminalizing
denial of Armenian allegations.

OSMOPOLITAN AND KIM KARDASHIAN TEAM UP TO END ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DISPUTE
William Ashford

Scrape TV

May 14 2012

New York, NY – For decades women have relied on one major resource
for many of their most intimate questions. Whether for sex, health,
self-improvement, or even fashion millions of women have turned to the
pages of ‘Cosmopolitan’ for generations, finding in those glossy pages
pretty much all the gossip and advice a woman could ever want. Even
in today’s modern, digital, and largely liberated world the sometimes
seedy world that ‘Cosmo’ explores still has a great deal of impact
for women, engaging new generations of girls.

Things haven’t always gone swimmingly for the magazine however and in
recent years, particularly with the decline of magazine sales across
the board, things have gotten much worse for the magazine that this
year turns 125 years old. Thos challenges have prompted many changes
at the magazine, from downsizing to distribution, but it is in the
content itself that much of the real change has occurred. True,
the magazine still has all the heart-felt advice it has always had
but recent editorial decisions have opened up the magazine to new
creative, and controversial, avenues. Most recently the magazine
has come under criticism for its decision to feature Kim Kardashian,
a celebrity of Armenian descent, on the cover of the Turkish edition
of the magazine, prompting outrage from activists still seething over
the long-standing issue of the 1917 genocide. For ‘Cosmo’ though it
is just a part of the new editorial model which they hope will help
make the world a better place, with a whole lot of great sex advice.

“While we certainly understand the passions of people in respect to
this issue, we at Cosmo stand by our decision to feature Ms.

Kardashian on the cover of the Turkish edition of the magazine. Our
intent is to help aid an understanding between the Armenian and Turkish
people and do what we can to bring a resolution to this issue,”
said a spokesperson for the magazine. “We hope that by featuring
Ms. Kardashian on the cover we can bring the issue to the forefront
and begin to discuss it. Only by talking can we come to a resolution,
advice we have been giving for 125 years.”

Both Kardashian and the Armenian National Committee of America
protested the cover, though Kardashian agreed to do another for
the magazine.

“I think that in the long picture this cover will have little impact
on the situation and the ongoing debate between the two nations and
people. Ultimately though if you can get the conversation going on
any level it’s probably a good thing,” said Scrape TV Media analyst
Sarah Piper. “There is no person of Armenian descent more prominent
than the Kardashian family right now, Kim in particular, and so
there is really no better spokesperson for the issue than her. Of
course whether that has an impact on Turkey and the Turkish people
is something else entirely, largely because the people who buy Cosmo
tend to not worry too much about hundred year old genocides.”

The genocide of the Armenian people under Ottoman rule occurred
between 1915 and 1917, resulting in thousands of deaths, rapes,
and deportations.

“Even a few years ago I don’t think that anyone would have looked to
‘Cosmopolitan’ to help resolve major political and social issues, but
in the end the magazine was built on giving life changing advice and
so this is not something totally out of left field,” continued Piper.

“I guess any attempt to bring resolution to these issues is a
good thing, and if you sell magazines in the process, well then
everyone wins. I know that the publishing industry certainly needs
an intervention, maybe even more than the Turks and the Armenians,
and this may be just that.”

The issue also featured groundbreaking advice on getting celebrity
hair styles, and how to shed pounds to fit into sexy bikinis.

Paris-Normandie, France
Samedi 12 Mai 2012

Espoir pour les Arméniens;
Solidarite. Cinq enfants ont été placés sous la protection de la
Ville, lors d’un parrainage républicain, mercredi.

Un ” moment doublement chargé d’émotion car il s’agit de devenir un
partenaire pour l’avenir d’enfants et de prendre une profonde
responsabilité en s’engageant pour un symbole. ” C’est ainsi que le
maire Sébastien Jumel a introduit la cérémonie de parrainage
républicain pour cinq enfants et jeunes dont les familles, toutes
arméniennes, sont menacées d’expulsion. ” Je souhaite que le
rassemblement de ce soir soit le dernier, au vu de l’élection récente
de François Hollande à la présidence de la République “, a ajouté le
maire.

Les trois familles concernées, les Kachatryan, les Mansuryan et les
Petrosyan-Yesayan, arrivées en France en 2009 et 2010, ont prouvé
leurs facultés d’adaptation en participant à des actions associatives
et culturelles, notamment. Les enfants – David, 11 ans, Vartoui, 9
ans, Milena, 2 ans, Hamlet, 15 ans et Armen, 17 ans – sont scolarisés
à l’école Desceliers, au collège Camus, au lycée Neruda ou gardé à la
crèche Dolto. Une enseignante a témoigné du comportement exemplaire de
l’un des jeunes, tandis que Ginette Poullet, membre du réseau
Education sans frontière et impliquée dans l’aide aux devoirs des
enfants par le biais du Centre d’accueil des demandeurs d’asile,
livrait un témoignage poignant sur les ” belles rencontres ” avec ces
familles, ” admirables et dignes “. Elus et citoyens ont ensuite
accepté de devenir parrains et marraines des jeunes rassemblés sous la
protection de la municipalité.
RESF aura son stand ce week-end à la braderie du Pollet, où un timbre
et une carte postale seront édités, pour 3 EUR, aux couleurs de
l’association, à cinq cents exemplaires, avec le concours de
l’association philatélique, la Ville et les Citoyens du Pollet…
Anne-sophie Groué

Interfax, Russia
May 12 2012

Armenian FM criticizes Azeri colleague for unconstructive approach to
Karabakh problem

YEREVAN. May 12

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has accused Azerbaijan of
obstructing the efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Azerbaijan has been unable to overcome the temptation to resolve the
conflict in a military way, and, instead of preparing its people for
peace, is continuing militant rhetoric and provocations at the contact
line and acquiring huge amounts of weapons, which is obstructing the
process of settling the conflict and threatens the fragile situation
in the region,” Nalbandian said at a meeting with the co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group for settling the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in
Yerevan on Saturday.
Nalbandian sees as symbolic the co-chairs’ visit to the region on the
18th anniversary of the arrangement of a truce between the conflicting
parties, the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Interfax.

Nalbandian also said that the parties have had several occasions to
come close to settling the problem in the past 18 years, “but every
time Azerbaijan backtracked and hampered the reaching of an
agreement.”

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic-political one.
Differences between the Azeris and Armenians have long historical and
cultural roots. The conflict worsened in 1987-1988 and grew into
large-scale military actions for control over Nagorno-Karabakh and
some adjacent territories in 1991-1994. As a result, Armenia occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven Azeri districts around it, turning about 1
million Azeris into refugees and displaced persons.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are negotiating the settlement of the conflict
via mediation of the three OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing
Russia, France, and the U.S. The region’s status remains among the
principal stumbling blocks in the talks. In seeking the problem’s
resolution, the mediators are trying to combine two international law
principles, i.e. that of territorial integrity, which Baku favors, and
that of nations’ right to self-determination, championed by Yerevan.
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